The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-06-18

proudly 10 his friends, ana they looked az IL
almost reverently and agreed that, although
America was great place, nothing grew
in IL quite so lovely as the flowers and
mosses from their old fatherland.
So the season wore along without much
change till winter Peter could hope for
still lcss work during that season. But
when spring came the prospect frightened.
Work was more plentiful than during the
summer before. It would be but short
time and he could send for Mary. How
easy IL was to work when he thought OF
thatl
He had taken claim, and before she
came he would have house built on 1t
which for elegance would rival any
thing in the whole settlement-and II
would all be built of sod, too! For q sod
house, Peter reasoned, was a palace II
you moved into 1t in the right spirit. So
there was no doubt that it would be palace
to them.
On the anniversary Of the day that Peter
arrived at Prairie City he appeared early in
the morning at one Of the local steamship
| ticket agencies found wherever there Is
even small per cent of foreign popula-
tion. He made his wants known in broken,
but fairly good English, and soon had q
| ticket-.a ticket which he would send to Mary
and II would bring her away from the little
| village in the old world to q little village In
the new where he would meet her. But 1t
would be u long time yet before she would
reach there, for it was long way-it was
about as near to go around the world
one way as the other, Peter estimated,
and he had travelled it and ought to
know-so she would not arrive till
some time in the fall. Peter went back
to work and built the house and earned q
surprising amount of money by working
for the neighbors, and had the very best Of
good luck in every way. The house was
cvon more sumptuous and really more ele-
giant in its appointments than he had dared
to hope. He invited the ncighbors to ex-
anime tit was one OF those residences
that would bear inspection Ah! If his
father and his mother could see what u
| house he had built! And his brothers and
sisters and his grandfather, Hendrick An
| tijuntti Peterson, who lived up on the
mountain, If he could sec it and tell IL on
his famous visit years ago to st. Peters
burg he saw any houses which for real
comfort and usefulness surpassed his
grandsonsl
So everything prospered with Peter, and
at last letter came saying that the ticket
had reached the little village and had been
duly inspected by every one living in it and
the little valley as we'll, including the au-
thorities and public officers, and even his
grandfather, who lived up on the mountain,
and that they had all pronounced it correct
SO fa- as they knew, though his grandfather
thought it was perhaps just a trifle small
for the very great distance; and that Mary
would start in about q week and would sail
away from the same little quay-sail away
to meet her Peter in America, as
she expressed it, and then she signed
her name down in the corner and
put in little pale blue flower which she
had plucked as she came down from the
mountain after showing the ticket to his
grandfather.
So Mary was coming to Prairie City sc
soonl Yes, in q week, perhaps sooner,
perhaps little longer, and she would come
to Prairie City. Peter could scarcely real
ize it. He was so very happy and he was
soon to be so much happier He had been
to see the minister, Rev. Hans Mustolu
Mykkala, who lived over in another settle.
ment, and he was to come to tho house OF
Peters friend and there was to bo grand
wedding the next day after she came and
then they would go to live in that palace
All how surprised Mary would be to see SC
fine residence built, all for her and hei
Peter!
He must visit every train now, so that he
would be sure to meet her. A passenger
train now ran on that road, which reached
Prairie City in the evening and that wa:
the one she would come on. This train wa:
almost as reluctant as the ''mixed' which
formerly ran, and it was seldom on time
but Peter always waited till it came ant
drove back with his OK team. Over a weel
} had passed and still she had not come.
One evening there was light rain ant
it was announced that the train would no
arrive till after midnight. At this thu
loungers who had strolled over to witness
the exciting event of the arrival of a trail
went back and left Peter and the station
agent alone.
After an hour tho rain ceased. This wa!
not followed by q clear sky, but by prepa
rations for the real storm OF the night. l
grew very still, and as Peter paced the plat
form he could part of the time hear it roar
ing overhead, but not q breath could be felt
1t was hot and sultry Flash after flash o
that vivid lightning seen only on the great
open prairie followed in rapid succession
1t was binding in its brilliancy and ranged
from blood-red to white. Much OF it was 81
far away that the thunder could not b,
heard, but with nothing across the leve
plain to screen it from the eye it seemed
almost as dazzling as if directly overhead
The great distance that it could be seen ant
consequently tho wide expanse OF tn,
heavens visible caused the flashes to b.
almost continuous. First the whole land
scape for miles was lit up with dazzlin,
light, which caused objects to take on
weird, strange appearance as il they alon,
were lit up and stood out away from tn,
dark earth, and then darkness followed
which made Peter stop in his walk involun
tarily as il a great black nit had hee,
opened up at his feet. Part Of the electri
cal discharges were nearer and the thunde
fairly shook the earth and the window
ratified and the lamp in the office flickered
All this time the clouds were hurryin,
this way and that, borne about by the wind
|, high up in the heavens. Soon the wine
began to blow in little fitful gusts and thel
it became stronger and more steady. A
last large drops of rain began to fall ant
, the thunder came nearer and then the storm
, burst and the rain fell in torrents. For al
hour, between the crashing thunder, tn
falling rain and the roar of the wind, it wa
almost impossible for the two watchers il
the depot to hear each other speak. Thel
the thunder and wind partially ceased ant
the storm settled into long, steady rain
1t was about this time that the headligh
of the train was seen and Peter took hi
station close to the window so as to go ou
, the minute it arrived. He had been disap
pointed number OF times, but each tim
, helped the chances for the next, and
seemed as il she must come this time. An,
!, again he thought Of the house, and Of tn
wedding tomorrow IL she came, but NOR
particularly OF Mary herself. 1t almos
. seemed as though he would know it il sh
was in the car before the train stopped